Next time you grow Cabbage or Cucumbers USE....

[kleenex]

Human Urine as the fertilizer.

Web Special: You fertilized with what?: Science News Online, Sept. 22, 2007

Surendra K. Pradhan of the University of Kuopio and his colleagues grew cabbages using a conventional fertilizer, human urine that had been stored for 6 months, or no soil amendments at all. In an upcoming issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the researchers report that urine treatment yielded cabbages that were bigger and carried fewer germs than either other approach yielded.

Although the nutrient content of urine depends on what someone has eaten, analyses of the urine used in these experiments showed that its nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content was comparable to that of commercial fertilizer.

Sauerkraut made from cabbages cultivated in the three ways had slightly different flavors, according to taste panelists, but were equally well liked.

 

[auntdot]

I'm surprised they did not try night soil.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Sorry, that's disgusting, & always has been. And that recommendation & those "studies" have been making the rounds for years. Not the same studies - always "new" ones, but still about the same old disgusting route.

If you want to fertilize your vegetable garden beds with your own urine, go to it, but please don't offer the resulting produce to neighbors or sell it at farmers' markets without displaying your fertilization method. Your particular possible pathogens aren't welcome, thank you.

Good grief - with all the wonderful possibilities available just from using regular composted materials, some idiots have to spend $$ researching using someone's piss on the garden?? Tell them to spend their money somewhere more worthwhile please.

 

[letscook]

ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

 

[kleenex]

Well BreezyCooking, if you try it, you just might like it.

 

[BreezyCooking]

There are very few things in this world that I won't try first before panning, however luckily I was born with some common sense to factor in.

And consuming vegetables that have been fertilized by my own or anyone else's urine definitely comes under the heading of using COMMON SENSE. Go ahead Kleenex, pee away on your vegetables & eat them to your heart's content. Just don't go proselytizing the rest of the free world about it.

Oh - & I am assuming that you already use this method & have eaten the yummy produce yourself? Or are you just waiting for someone else to try this moronic idea first?

 

[kleenex]

Or are you just waiting for someone else to try this moronic idea first?

Well the people behind this study already have tried this so called moronic idea.

 

[BreezyCooking]

I understand that. It goes without saying that there are always going to be a few nuts in every tree.

But have YOU tried it? If you're advising others pursue this idea, I'm assuming that you yourself have done this?

 

[Claire]

When I was a child living in Germany, night soil was used as fertilizer very commonly. If I remember correctly, we were warned to more or less sterilize the fresh produce. My mom thought if the Germans could eat it, we could (don't get me wrong, she washed it as we all wash our fresh produce, she just didn't soak it in a bleach solution). My sisters, parents, and I are still alive and healthy.

 

[lyndalou]

I am in the "You've got to be kidding" camp. This sounds disgusting. I am sure I could never make myself try it.

 

[justplainbill]

When I was a child living in Germany, night soil was used as fertilizer very commonly. If I remember correctly, we were warned to more or less sterilize the fresh produce. My mom thought if the Germans could eat it, we could (don't get me wrong, she washed it as we all wash our fresh produce, she just didn't soak it in a bleach solution). My sisters, parents, and I are still alive and healthy.

Ditto for when I lived in Italy. Never did use the bleach powder solution. Seems the 6 months of composting may be an important factor.

 

[AllenOK]

If you all think this study is "just plain not right", I'm wondering, do you consume commercially-grown mushrooms? If so, you might want to research how they make the compost.

 

[Constance]

The Chinese use human waste for fertilizer, and I suppose a lot of other cultures do as well.
I remember some 25 years ago, the powers that be in Chicago decided that it would be a great idea to ship their liquid sludge down here for the farmers to use in their cornfields. That idea did not go over so well with southern Illinoisans, however. You can imagine some of the comments that were made.
I did have a friend who would go to our local waste treatment plant and bring home truckloads of the powdery dried sludge for his vegetable garden. It made good fertilizer, although he got lots of volunteer corn and tomato plants. LOL!
I do love nothing better than to get a load of rotten cow or horse manure for my garden, but cows and horses eat only grain.

I am not familiar with the term "night waste", but am assuming it means the contents of chamber pots? I didn't know anyone used those anymore.

As for the mushrooms, they used to be grown in horse manure. I think they use a special mix nowadays.

 

[keltin]

Here’s how one mushroom farm grows their shrooms.

This facility is one of the largest users of "green waste" in the state, as the compost is comprised of recycled wood chips from wall board manufacturing as well as organic waste from two of the Southland's top race tracks: Santa Anita and Hollywood Park.


Organic waste from a horse race track? Hmmmm.........

 

[keltin]

Speaking of fertilizer, when I was growing up in mobile, my younger brother took a job at a plant that made fertilizer out of seafood waste (shells, discarded meat/meal, shrimp heads, scales, etc). He worked there for one night and quit.

That is the WORST smelling stuff I’ve ever come across. We had to burn his clothes since we couldn’t get the smell out of them. And two weeks after that, he sold his car because we couldn’t get the smell out of that! Horrible stuff.

 

[jpmcgrew]

No way no how.However I do believe horse manure or horse manure tea is a great fertilizer.From what I understand the Germans make horse manure tea for their growing needs.I think of it as instant compost.

 

[BreezyCooking]

I'm truly shocked & "almost" (lol) speechless that such a group of intelligent people - unless they're just out to start an argument - can be so obtuse.

There is a BIG, BIG, BIG, BIG, BIG, BIG, BIG - did you hear me say BIG? - difference between the use of composted urine-impregnated bedding & feces from herbivores (i.e. cattle, horses, sheep, goats, etc.) AND the use of urine & feces from omnivores & carnivores (i.e. dogs, cats, primates, HUMANS).

For those of you here who apparently don't know the difference, & the health hazards of using/composting omnivore/carnivore products, please take the time to do the research yourself before engaging in such idiocy. I don't have the time.

I'm truly taking the stance that this whole topic was just meant as an arguement starter, because I don't really think the vast majority of folks here plan to start peeing/dumping on their compost piles or plan to begin dumping their cat litter boxes & scooping their dog poop on there as well.

 

[keltin]

Yeah.....but.....it’s still poo! Poo by any other name would smell as rank.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Glad to see how much you're enjoying this Keltin.

My only point was to prevent someone from thinking that human urine as fertilizer was a good healthy idea & thus perhaps ending up sick. Period.

I'm through with this thread. Enjoy yourselves.

 

[justplainbill]

I'm truly shocked & "almost" (lol) speechless that such a group of intelligent people - unless they're just out to start an argument - can be so obtuse.

There is a BIG, BIG, BIG, BIG, BIG, BIG, BIG - did you hear me say BIG? - difference between the use of composted urine-impregnated bedding & feces from herbivores (i.e. cattle, horses, sheep, goats, etc.) AND the use of urine & feces from omnivores & carnivores (i.e. dogs, cats, primates, HUMANS).

For those of you here who apparently don't know the difference, & the health hazards of using/composting omnivore/carnivore products, please take the time to do the research yourself before engaging in such idiocy. I don't have the time.

I'm truly taking the stance that this whole topic was just meant as an arguement starter, because I don't really think the vast majority of folks here plan to start peeing/dumping on their compost piles or plan to begin dumping their cat litter boxes & scooping their dog poop on there as well.

Don't be so sure what cattle are being fed. The more protein in, the more nitrogen out. Chicken manure can be pretty potent, especially free range.